Rope starter



Al1g- 7, 1951 H. GOLDBERG ETA. 2,563,719

ROPE STARTER Filed March 9, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l fyi Aug. 7, 1951l H. GOLDBERG ETAL ROPE STARTER 2 Sheets-Sheec 2 Filed March 9, 1949 Patented Aug. 7, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROPE STARTER Harry Goldberg and 'Milford D. Burrows, Chicago,

Ill., assignors to Pioneer Gen-`EMotor Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Application March 9, 1949, Serial No.` 80,472

Claims.

Our invention relates to an improvement in roperetrieyers and has `for one purpose to provide an improved and simple retriever structure.

Another purposeis to provide an improved rope retriever for starting internal combustion eneines.

Another purpose `is to provide a combined rope retriever and shroud for internal combustion engines.

Another purpose is to provide arope retriever arranged to cause a minimum interference with the ilow of 4air to the engine..

Another purpose is to provide an improved reel and return structure for rope retriever.

Other purposes will .appear from time to time ,in the course of the. specification and claims.

We illustrate the engine more V`or less diagrammatioally in the accompanying drawings whereln' Figure 1 is a detailed elevationof an engine to which the rope retriever is applied` Figure 2 is a `partial side elevation of the structure in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an inner view of the rope retriever proper, on an enlargedsoale.

Figure 4 is a section on an enlarged `scale on the line 4'4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 isla section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6 6 of Figure 4.

Like parts are indicated by like symbols throughout the specication and drawings.

Referring to the drawings, I indicates any suitable base upon which is mounted the engine structure generally indicated as 2.

The details of the structure form no part of the present invention.

Sgenerally indicates a shroud having an air inlet aperture 4 shown as partially closed by a screen 5. It will be understood that any suitable ily wheel structure may be mounted within the shroud. G generally indicates a portion of the motor shaft which carries any suitable rotating structure l which may be part of a fly wheel or a combined ily Wheel and fan. The parts may be held together by any suitable screw 9 which also positions ashell 9, rotating with the shaft 6 and separated by the gap II) `from the inner edge of the screen 5. The shell 9 includes an outer extension I I terminating in a generally cylindrical wall I2. The outer extension II carries a series of pins I3 upon which are pivoted suitable levers I4 having inner ends I5 of substantially less extension and mass than the levers (Cl. IZB-185) I4. The ends I5 are formed or tapered to permit the inner ends I4 to move into the position in which they are shown in Figure 5, in respect to the action of the coil spring I6. Each such spring i6 is coiled about one of the pins I3 but has an end I'I abutting against the edge of an appropriate aperture I8 in the portion II, and an opposite end I9 thrusting again-st a notch 2U in the lever 'portion I4. The thrust of the spring is so proportioned that when the motor shaft 6 is rotating the levers are centrifugally held in Withdrawn position., with the lever portion I4 approaching or engaging the inner surface of the circumferential Wall II of the shell 9.

Mounted on the shroud 3 is a fixed cup or support 25 shown as having a circumferential wall 25 and inwardly extending central hub 2I and a plurality of outwardly extending arms 2B. These arms 23, which may for convenience be four in number, may be secured'to the surface of the shroud 4 by any suitable screws 29 and spacers 39. Positioned in the hub 2'I is Vthe rotating pin 3l which is held against unintended movement, for example, by the spring or lock rin-g 32. At its inner end the rotating pin or shaft 3l carries a reel structure having an outer component 33 vand an inner component 34. The inner portions of the two components are rmly locked together againsta ledge 35on the pin 3! being held, for example, by the screw 36 which also secures the clamp 3l into which extends the end of the actuating rope or cable 38. The two components 33, 34 are separated about their outer portions as at 39,. 4D, these portions terminating in outwardly inclined lips 39a and 49d. In the space thus provided the cable 38 is wound, the free end of the cable `havingsecured to it a ball or handle 4I such as is shown in Figures l to 3. The inner component 34 is also provided with inwardly struck ears 42 which are adapted to engage or be engaged by the inner ends of the levers I4 when the parts are in the position of Figure 5, With `the motor shaft at rest. At that time the springs I6 are effective to rotate the lever portions I Atinto opposition with the opposite members`42,'

in a clutching or actuating relationship. 59 is a spring which surrounds the exterior of the hub 2land which hasan inner end entering the notch 5I. Its outer end 52 extends about an ear 53 struck outwardly from the portion 39 of the member 33. As shown in Figure 6, We illustrate three of the ears 53, so that one will always be available for the easy securing of the spring 50. It will be understood that the spring is effective normally to reel in the reel structure which 3 includes the components 33, 34, with the cable 38 in the position into which it is shown in Figures 3 and 4 and with the ball or handle 4| in the position of Figure 3.

Assume that the parts are at rest and that the motor is not in operation. Then the levers I4, which constitute clutch elements for the moving of parts of the motor are opposed to the ears 42 as shown in Figure 5. The ball 4|, and the cable 38 is reeled in by the spring 50, and ready for use. The user grabs the ball lll and gives a rather sharp pull on the cable. The result is a clockwise rotation of the ears 42, referring to the position of the parts as shown in Figure 5. This results in a spinning of the motor shaft 6 which is normally effective to start the motor. If the first pull on the rope 38 is not effective, the spring 50 immediately returns the rope and reel to the proper position for another starting pull on the rope. As soon as the motor shaft 6 begins to rotate, the centrifugal force withdraws the lever I4 into inoperative position.

It will be realized that whereas we have described and claimed a practical and operative device, nevertheless many changes may bemade in size, shape, number and disposition of parts without departing from the spirit of our invention. We therefore wish our description and drawings to be taken as in a broad sense illustrative and diagrammatic, rather than as limiting us to our specific showing herein.

We claim:

1. In a rope retriever for motors and the like, a shroud having an inlet aperture in line with the shaft of a motor, a starting member adapted to be mounted on said motor shaft and including a clutch portion extending through said aperture, a base mounted 'on said shroud in alignment with said aperture, said base including a generally circumferential wall defining a housing, the inner edge of said Wall being spaced from said shroud, said clutch portion being in the general form of a cup, the oute circumferential edge of said cup extending withi said base housing, a reel mounted on said base for rotation generally coaxially with said clutch portion, clutch elements on said reel, movable clutch elements on said clutch portion, and means for imparting rotationto said reel, said movable clutch elements being mounted for centrifugal movement into inoperative position in response to rotation of said clutch portion.

2. The structure of claim 1, characterized by and including a clutch portion in the general form of a cup having a circumferential flange, a plurality of levers rotatably mounted on said cup and having ends adapted to extend from the point of said mounting into the interior of said cup, and opposite ends adapted to extend a shorter distance from said mounting point, said last-named ends being further adapted to contact said circumferential flange when said first-named ends reach their point of closest approach to the interior of the cup and spring means formed and adapted normally to urge the inner ends of said levers toward the interior of said cup, said spring means being of insufficient strength to resist the centrifugal tendency of said levers to swing outwardly into inoperative position when the clutch portion is rotated.

3. The structure of claim 1, characterized by and including a reel having two sheet metal components, the inner portions of which abut, and the outer portions of which are separated to receive a cable.

4. The structure of claim 1, characterized by and including a reel having two sheet metal components, the inner portions of which abut, and the outer portions of which are separated to receive a cable, one of said components having unitary clutch lugs struck outwardly therefrom at the point of separation of said outer portions.

5. The structure of claim 1, characterized by and including a reel having two sheet metal components, the inner portions of which abut, and the outer portions of which are separated to receive a cable, one of said components having one or more outwardly struck lugs adapted to receive a spring end.

6. The structure of claim 1, characterized by and including a coil spring, one end of which is secured tothe base and the other to the reel, said spring being formed and adapted to move the reel in one direction of rotation, and a cable surrounding said reel and having an exterior handle, said cable being adapted, in response to a pull on said handle, to rotate the reel in opposition to said coil spring, said coil spring being adapted thereafter to return the reel to initial position.

7. In a rope retriever for motors and the like, a shroud having an inlet aperture vin line with the shaft of a motor, a starting member adapted to be mounted on said motor shaft and including a clutch portion extending through said aperture, a base mounted on said shroud in alignment with said aperture, a reel mounted for rotation generally coaxially with said clutch portion, clutch elements on said reel, movable clutch elements on said clutch portion, and means for imparting rotation to said reel, said base having an inwardly extending hub, a stub shaft rotatably mounted in said hub, said reel being mounted on said shaft, means for holding said shaft against unintended endwise movement in said hub, and a coil spring surrounding said hub, one end of said spring being secured to the shroud, and the other to the reel.

HARRY GOLDBERG. MILFORD D. BURROWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Catlin Aug. 30, 1949 

